Quarterback

These same five quarterbacks finished in the top five last season. There is no reason to think it will change this year because there are no other obvious breakout candidates on the horizon. Michael Vick could challenge for a spot in the top five if he can recapture his 2010 form.

Rodgers gets the nod as the top quarterback because he is hyper-efficient throwing the football. He is also one of the top scrambling quarterbacks in the league. He was fourth in the league last year in rushing attempts and rushing yards for quarterbacks.

Brees, Brady, and Stafford were the top three quarterbacks in total pass drop backs last season. There is no reason to think they will not top the leaderboard again this season.

Cam Newton will not have to worry about a sophomore slump. Even if his rushing touchdowns regress, his growth in the passing game could be exponential as one of the top athletes in the NFL.

Running Back

The list of top running backs available is less impressive than it was when training camp started.

Maurice Jones-Drew is in the midst of a holdout, Trent Richardson underwent a knee scope and Ryan Mathews broke his clavicle on his first preseason carry. Not to mention that Adrian Peterson’s status is uncertain to start the season.

Arian Foster is the top available running back. He finished as the third-best running back last year despite missing three games and was more effective on a per-snap-played basis than both Ray Rice and LeSean McCoy.

Rice and McCoy will continue to be the centerpiece of their respective offenses.

Chris Johnson struggled in 2011 after arriving in camp out of football shape after his contract holdout. His play suffered at the beginning of the season, but he gradually turned things around. He is still a special player capable of winning your weekly matchup single-handedly.

Matt Forte is not a strong goal-line option, and that will not change this year with the addition of Michael Bush. He will remain a focal part of the Bears’ new-look offense.

Wide Receiver

Predicting which wide receivers will finish in the top five can be a fruitless effort.

Jordy Nelson, Victor Cruz and Brandon Lloyd have posted top fantasy seasons in the last two years.

There will be another changing of the guard at the wide receiver position this season with the exception of Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald. Both are as automatic as it comes. They have also proved they can produce with backup quarterbacks if needed.

Julio Jones is primed for a breakout season. In the Falcons’ preseason opener, Jones caught six passes for 109 yards and one touchdown—in the first quarter. If you extrapolate Jones’ last five games of 2011 for a full season, he would have had 77 catches, 1,475 yards and 19 touchdowns.

A.J. Green averaged over seven targets per game as a rookie—a total that stands to increase given the lack of supporting talent in Cincinnati. Greg Cosell of NFL Films already considers Green one of the top wide receivers in the NFL.

Hakeem Nicks is the better bet to return to the fantasy elite than his teammate Victor Cruz after a dominating performance in the 2011 playoffs. Nicks caught 22 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns in just three games, outproducing Cruz by a large margin.

Tight End

David Butler II-US PRESSWIRE

1. Rob Gronkowski: Patriots

2. Jimmy Graham: Saints

3. Vernon Davis: 49ers

4. Jermichael Finley: Packers

5. Aaron Hernandez: Patriots

No matter whom you rank first or second, you cannot go wrong taking Rob Gronkowski or Jimmy Graham early in your fantasy draft. Both are in a tier all by themselves in terms of talent and opportunity. Most importantly, they are still the top receiving options on their team and are simply matchup nightmares for opposing defenses.

Vernon Davis turned the corner late last season and cemented himself among the elite tight ends with his postseason effort. In two games, Davis totaled 10 receptions for 292 yards and four touchdowns.

Jermichael Finley had the quietest top-five season in recent memory last year. He topped 750 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, but no one noticed because of the seasons that Gronkowski and Graham had. Aaron Rodgers still favors Finley in the red zone.

Aaron Hernandez is essentially a wide receiver that is tight-end eligible. It is one of the reasons that the Patriots offense can support two top tight ends. Hernandez is an elite talent in his own right—he finished as the third tight end last year despite missing two games.